Description

2 Kings 5:1-14

We marvel at Naaman, the leprous warrior, who was indignant that he was asked to bathe in the river Jordan to cure his leprosy. If that’s all it took, Naaman reasoned, he could have bathed in a river closer to home. Naaman wanted the miracle without the obedience, just like the leper in the Gospel lesson, who refused to do what Jesus asked even after the man had been healed. We want a miracle to happen in our lives; we want to know God is at work, but we don’t want to live in obedience to Him in all things. We want it our way.

We Lift Our Hearts In Worship

[Preservice options include videos (countdowns, worship music, welcomes), worship music CD, or live music by worship band.]

Invocation and Introduction of Today’s Theme

Pastor In the name of God the Father, Provider of all we need;

ALL In the name of God the Son, Jesus Christ, the perfect sacrifice for our sins;

Pastor In the name of the God the Holy Spirit, Who heals our spiritual disease and makes us whole.

ALL Amen.

Opening Prayer

Pastor Who has known Your mind, O Lord? Who can discern Your ways? Who can possibly understand Your heart? You give to us what we do not deserve in ways we cannot understand. You marinate us in Your grace, and send us forth to be Your people. Fill us with the Spirit of Jesus, that we might live in joyful obedience as we follow Jesus. Amen.

Time of Greeting

Time of Confession and Forgiveness

[Alternate location: following Message]

Pastor We bring before our Lord our sins, and our sinfulness…

(silence)

Pastor We confess, Father, that we always seem to make it about us.

ALL We place ourselves at the center of all things.

We expect you to make our lives easier.

Even when You pour out blessings upon us, we prefer to live in our same, comfortable ways.

We even expect You to work in our lives in the way we want, according to our time schedule.

Forgive us, we pray. We rely not on our good deeds, noble intentions, or religious piety. We rely solely on the cross of Jesus Christ.

Pastor Here is the Good News: God’s plan of salvation is not what we would expect, nor does it make sense in the eyes of the world. Instead of demanding that we perform better in order to earn forgiveness, He gives it through the atoning death of His Son Jesus Christ. It is not what we would expect. It is not what we would even conceive of. It is grace. And it is given freely. Hear the proclamation: We are made whole as we are washed in the blood of the Lamb.

ALL Amen.

Time of Praise and Worship

Counting on God

Everyday

Lead Me

[Traditional Options]

O God, Our Help In Ages Past

BH 75 223; BH91 74; CH 686; CHH 67; EH 680; ELW 632; HWC 52; HPW 52; HFG 370; HLC 48; HGP 15; HSP 32; LBW 320; LSB 733; LW 180; NCH 25; PH 210; RH 81; STTL 95; WC 78; UMH 117; WAR 84; WHM 335; WIS 14

I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus

CH 582; HWC 346; HFG 73; HLC 330; LBW 460; LSB 729; LW 408; WC 524; WHM 451

Lead On, O King Eternal

BH 75 420; BH 91 621; CH 724; CHH 632; EH 555; ELW 805; HWC 483; HFG 595; HLC 457; HGP 408; HSP 13; LBW 495; NCH 573; PH 447,448; RH 617; STTL 641; WC 747; UMH 580; WAR 508; WHM 599; WIS 28

We Hear God’s Word

. First Reading: 2 Kings 5:1-14

Naaman the leper is told to bathe in the river Jordan in order to be healed.

Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy^. ² Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. ³ She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” ⁴ Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. ⁵ “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels^[c] of gold and ten sets of clothing. ⁶ The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.” ⁷ As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!” ⁸ When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” ⁹ So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. ¹⁰ Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.” ¹¹ But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. ¹² Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage. ¹³ Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” ¹⁴ So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.Having it Our Way

Additional information

Chapter	5:1-14
Church Year	Year B
Lectionary	Revised Common Lectionary
Scripture	2 Kings
Sunday	6th Sunday after Epiphany

Having it Our Way-Sixth Sunday After Epiphany-RCL Readings